Review | Ice Kissed

Ice Kissed (#2) by Amanda Hocking
May 2015 by St. Martin's Press
309 pages
Five stars


"In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…

Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…and the glittering palace of the Skojare.

The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss, Ridley Dresden, is overseeing her mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.

As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it will change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves." - Goodreads


If you have not read the previous book in the series, beware of spoilers!

I loved this book. It was a great second book in a trilogy and so much happened! The first book in the series was a little slow, but I expected as much as it was a first book and had to set up the rest of the storyline. Ice Kissed wasted no time with the action.

It picks up where Frostfire left off. The Skojare queen is still missing. She comes to Bryn is a lysa and asks for help. Bryn and Ridley find the queen and it seems Konstantin told her that she was in danger, and told her to escape. There's always been something confusing to me about Konstantin. He does something to protect Bryn or something considered "good" but he tried to kill Bryn's father for no apparent reason, and is working with the bad guys. I don't understand his motives. I remember reading somewhere that there is no love triangle in this series, so why would Konstantin be acting this way towards Bryn? I'm curious to see how that story unfolds.

Bryn and Ridley head to the middle of nowhere Canada to find the missing Queen. Once they locate her Bryn and Kasper head back to Storvatten to help set up a better guard so that Queen Linnea feels safe at home, and attempt to figure out what is going on. There seems to be something shady going on at the palace, but no one can put their finger on exactly what it is. There are red flags with so many people but there seems to be no connection to the bigger picture yet. The king sends Bryn and Kasper back to Doldastam.

This novel has a lot more of Ridley and Bryn, which I love. You get more of an insight on their relationship. There are some extra juicy scenes in this book with them. I really love Bryn's friendship with Tilda and I'm happy to see more scenes with her in Ice Kissed. Bryn seems to get along more with men than women, so it's nice to see her with a female friend who is so close.

There is a sense of dread towards the middle to end of the story, as the pieces come together. You'll have to read the story to see what I'm talking about. While some things are explained, there is still much of the big picture that we are left to work out still. With Bryn on the run, I'm very interested in were this story will go for the finale. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait for the final book.

You can read the first few chapters on Amanda's Wattpad after making an account here.

Review | The Last Time We Say Goodbye

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
February 2015 by HarperTeen
390 pages
Five stars


"There's death all around us. We just don't pay attention. Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go." -Goodreads



Cynthia Hand is one of my favorite authors. After I finished the Unearthly trilogy, I was anxiously anticipating her next book. She posted somewhere that while she was writing this book, she was in tears. I knew this was a book I needed to read, even before I knew what it was about. Cynthia Hand is really good at, what I like to call, the feels. Cynthia writes about grief so well. She really captures what it feels like. Her books always hit home with me, and usually, I cry. This book was no different.

I lost my dad last year and I was really nervous to read this book, which is why it took me so long after it was published to read it. I've also had a few friends pass away, one due to suicide. I've owned this book since the week it was published, but I just didn't know if I was ready to read it yet. I tried starting it a few times but just couldn't keep reading. Not because I didn't like the story, but because like Lex, I wasn't ready to come to terms with my feelings. I really had to wait until I was ready to read this. 

The Last Time We Say Goodbye is about a girl who's younger brother commits suicide. It's a story about love, loss, grief and forgiveness. It's about the months after the funeral, and trying to make sense of what has happened, and finding a way to live in this world after the worst case scenario has happened. I really don't want to say much about the plot. This story is very hard to read at times. I think it's a very important book though, weather you have experienced loss or not. You really feel all that Lex is feeling. It opens up old wounds and makes you really appreciate your loved ones. It shows you, that you can make it through, and come out on the other side. Though it is heart wrenching at times, it is a beautiful story. I love these characters and feel for them.

While this book is not autobiographical, as Cynthia points out at the end, it does hit especially close to home for her. I just want to thank her for writing this story because it's so beautiful and so important. Grief is a very hard thing to live with and I can't imagine how difficult it was to write this book. After reading this, I do think that it has allowed me to heal and accept things in my own life. So, thank you Cynthia. You really are a phenomenal writer. 

Review | A Grimm Warning

A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories #3) by Chris Colfer
July 2014 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
448 pages
Four stars


"The Brothers Grimm have a warning for the Land of Stories.
Connor Bailey thinks his fairy-tale adventures are behind him - until he discovers a mysterious clue left by the famous Brothers Grimm. With help from his classmate Bree and the outlandish Mother Goose, Conner sets off on a mission across Europe to crack a two-hundred-year-old code.

Meanwhile, Alex Bailey is training to become the next Fairy Godmother... but her attempts at granting wishes never go as planned. Will she ever be truly ready to lead the Fairy Council?

When all signs point to disaster for the Land of Stories, Connor and Alex must join forces with their friends and enemies to save the day. But nothing can prepare them for the coming battle... or for the secret that will change the twins' lives forever.

The third book in the bestselling Land of Stories series puts the twins to the test as they bring two worlds together!" -Goodreads


If you have not read the previous books in the series, beware of spoilers! 

This is the third installment in the Land of Stories series. I really loved the first two books, so I was wondering how this book would compare. This is a middle grade series but I think readers of all ages would enjoy it. It's just such a fun series. It's easy to get lost in Chris Colfer's writing. He is really able to capture the awkwardness of being a teenager and all the new experiences you have at that age. The world he has created with these fairy tale characters that we all know and love is amazing. I love the way he envisions all these characters.

A Grimm Warning was a little slow to start but picked up really fast and I was hooked. I didn't like the idea of Connor and Alex being separated for most of the book but I think it worked out well. The twins really play off each other very well, but it was nice to get more of an idea of who they are when they are alone. There is a lot of character growth and plot development in A Grimm Warning. They both seem to be very unsure of themselves in the beginning of the story, but by the end of it, they have discovered new parts of themselves and new things they were capable of. Connor and Alex both experience their first relationships in this book too, which I think is nice. They are really growing up. 

A Grimm Warning takes us to London and Germany, which I thought was a great change of scenery. We meet new characters in The Land of Stories and get a glimpse of who they are after their fairy tale is over. We meet Gretel, of Hansel and Gretel. We also revisit many characters in The Land of Stories, such as Jack and Goldilocks. 

*Beware of some slight spoilers!*  There was so much to this book. There were so many things that happened that are going to change the rest of the books moving forward. I'm really excited to see where the characters are in the next story after the events of A Grimm Warning. I was really surprised by the big reveal at the end and am looking forward to getting more information in TLOS4. With Alex being the new Fairy Godmother, and having Connor by her side, the next book is sure to be exciting. I really hope that Bree and Emmerich return to The Land of Stories. I think they are connected to what the Fairy Godmother told Mother Goose before she died.  I don't think this is the last we will see of them. 

I went through such a book hangover after finishing this! I really cannot wait to start book four soon.

Review | Smoke

Smoke (Burned #2) by Ellen Hopkins
September 10th 2013 by Margaret K. McElderry
560 pages
Five Stars

"Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated. Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life, but is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?" - Goodreads


If you have not yet read the first book in this duology, Burned, beware of spoilers!

For any Ellen Hopkins fan, this book was a long time coming. Burned came out about 7 years prior. It was meant to be a stand alone but the fans wanted more of Pattyn's story. Thus, Smoke was born. I hadn't been more excited for an Ellen Hopkins book ever before, but it still took me 8 months to read this. I don't think I was ready to accept the end of the story. I am really glad I did read it though. I needed to know what happened after the events in Burned, and I needed closure. Burned was one of the first books I read by Ellen Hopkins and it had quite an impact on who I was as a reader.

Burned was told from Pattyn's point of view alone, while Smoke switches between both Pattyn and her younger sister, Jackie's point of view. We follow Pattyn, who is on the run after the death of her father. She makes a new life for herself under an alias of an undocumented housekeeper. She learns to make room in her life for people who have accepted her and care for her. The new life she has made is threatened by her bosses troublemaker daughter and friends. Meanwhile, Jackie is still at home dealing with the mess that was left over when Pattyn left and her father died. She is ridiculed and made to believe her rape was consensual while suffering through PTSD. She starts to heal and the wall she has built around her comes crashing down. There is a twist at the end that I did not see coming!

At first I didn't think I would like Jackie's point of view but I came to really like her as a character. She had a good influence in her life and learned to stand up for herself. She really grew so much. I think the story is much stronger with two points of view. You see how both sisters are affected by the events of Burned.

I really wasn't very sure where this story was going to go. We were left with such uncertainty at the end of Burned. I marathoned this duology, so I was able to stay in the world Ellen Hopkin's created and really feel all the emotions this story brought on. It's a very powerful, honest and moving story. When dealing with this subject matter, be mindful of trigger warnings. Some scenes are very hard to process. I think this book, as with so many other Ellen Hopkin's books, is so important.

Review | Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige
April 2014 by HarperCollins
452 pages
Five stars


"I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission." - Goodreads



I went into this book not knowing what it was about. I knew it had something to do with Oz, but not much more than that. So I dove into this story headfirst and came out very surprised at how much I liked it. The storyline and characters are face paced and so addicting.

Amy Gumm is our sassy main character who is full of attitude and spunk. She is one of my favorite female characters in quite a while. Like Dorothy, her trailer in Kansas is hit by a tornado, and she is blown away to the land of Oz. But this isn't the Oz she has read about in books or seen in movies. It's dark and dangerous with Dorothy and company now being in charge. Dorothy has enslaved the munchkins to suck the magic out of Oz. After being thrown in jail Amy is recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. She is a vital pawn in their mission. They want to kill Dorothy Gale. They disguise her as a servant in the castle.

There is so much depth to this book. The characters are well developed and have so much personality. The story is addicting and impossible to put down. It's dark and gory, which I love. You can feel that the danger is real for Amy. There is so much mystery. What happened to the sweet Dorothy we once knew? What is happening in Oz? This is a story that just keeps you wanting more. I want to know everything about these characters.

You know those books that you finish and you just want to turn back the first page and start again? This was one of those books for me. I really can't think of anything that I didn't love about Dorothy Must Die. I cannot wait to continue with the series. 

Review | Frostfire

Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles #1) by Amanda Hocking

January 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin

321 pages

Four stars

"Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?" - Goodreads

I was so excited to hear about a spin off of Amanda Hocking's Trylle series, The Kanin Chronicles. In Trylle there are five tribes of Trolls, including Kanin, which this series is about. I love the world that Amanda has created with the trolls. Even though I read the Trylle series in 2012, I had no problem jumping back in the world. It's set in a world of our own, with the different tribes being in remote areas. I was very excited to learn more about the Kanin, who are most powerful tribes of trolls. They live quiet and peacefully, and some have the ability to change their skin to blend into their surroundings like a chameleon. The Kanin have a very powerful and respected guard set up to protect their kingdom, the Hogdragen. 

Bryn Aven feels like an outsider in her own community. Her mixed heritage, half Kanin and Skojare, puts her at a disadvantage. She won't let that stop her from what she wants, which is to be a part of the Hogdragen. Konstantin Black, the queen's rogue guard, starts kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent to help stop him and keep the changelings safe. She has a personal grudge against him, as he tried to kill her father years ago. This is her chance to seek revenge and impress the people in her community, to show them what she can do. The queen of the Skojare, Linnea is missing. Bryn and Kasper are sent to Storvatten to see if they can figure out what has happened. 

This book really sets up for the rest of the series. We don't yet fully understand what is going on with Konstantin and the changelings, or what the bigger picture is. I'm very interested in seeing where things go with Ridley and Bryn. They are both battling what they think is right and what they want to be doing. I was also very happy to see a few familiar faces from the Trylle series, like Finn. 

Knowing Amanda Hocking, the rest of the series will be fantastic.She has such a talent with world building and writing action packed books. I'm sure this will be another of my favorite series. You can read the first few chapters on Amanda's Wattpad after making an account here.

Review | Burned

Burned (Burned #1) by Ellen Hopkins
April 2006 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
431 pages
Five stars


"I do know things really began to spin out of control after my first sex dream.

It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.

Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.

In this riveting and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride. From the highs of true love to the lows of abuse, Pattyn's story will have readers engrossed until the very last word." - Goodreads



I read Burned once before around the time it came out. I was so intrigued by Ellen's writing style and she has since been one of my favorite authors. This story is one that just stays with you. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking story. It deserves more than five stars.

Burned, to me, has a different tone than many of the other Ellen Hopkins books that I have read. It is a story of hope, but also brings to light many dark and scary things in this world. This story talks about Mormon culture and abuse. I don't believe all people of Mormon faith behave like the characters in Burned. I do believe that as with any other religion, it does happen. It's no secret that there is a lot of criticism of Mormonism. This story touched base on some of them, such as a father who disowned his gay son. There is also a lot of bias towards people of power and males.

While most of the female characters in the story are wishy washy, Pattyn is our heroine. Even in an abusive environment, she knows what is right and wrong and stands up for what she believes in. She takes care of her younger sisters, and prevents them from being in harms way when possible. Abuse is a very serious subject, and I don't find many stories that paint such a realistic picture of it. In Burned Pattyn is able to find hope and promise in a new place. She finds family and forever love. She finds things that she never new she was passionate about.

Towards the ending of the story, there is an overwhelming sense of dread. I couldn't quite remember how the story ended, since it had been 7 years since I read the story last. I will say it does not disappoint. It will leave you heartbroken.

Ellen Hopkins is a beautiful writer and her prose style writing is what got me hooked from the start. I would recommend this book to anyone, but tread lightly. The subject matter is quite heavy.

Review | The World of Postsecret

The World of Postsecret by Frank Warren
October 2014 by William Morrow & Company
288 pages
Five stars


"A ton of secrets, one postcard at a time." - Goodreads

I loved this book. I've always been a fan of Postsecret. I grew up with it and sent in my own postcards. It helped me through hard times and helped me accept my own secrets about myself. Postsecret is very close to my heart and I'm sad to see the end of an era. Frank has created an amazing thing. It has gone through so many changes and on so many platforms (ie. the Postsecret app, www.postsecret.com, many books, live events and museum exhibits). It's really wonderful to see what an impact it has made on so many generations. This book was the perfect ending of the project as we know it now. For 10 years Frank has been getting secrets in his mailbox and sharing them with the world. This book shares the history of the project and how it came to be what it is now. It shares stories from people who the project has helped, stories from Frank's mail carrier Kathy and Frank shares his own secrets.One of my favorite things about Postsecret is the world it has created. It's about more than just sharing secrets. It's a community that is full of support and has worked with suicide prevention. This book was wonderful. It has the best parts of the community and a bunch of new secrets. I just can't say enough good things about this book and the project. I highly recommend it.

Book UnHaul 2015

Recently I've noticed a lot of Booktubers have been posting "unhaul" videos. The general reading goal of 2015 it seems is to not have any books on your tbr shelf by 2016. I too hope to clear some space off my tbr shelf. So, I decided to go through my books and donate a bunch that I wasn't going to be reading. A lot of them I have lost interest with, decided to read an ebook version or wanted a nicer copy of the book. These are the books that I unhauled:


The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Miles To Go by Miley Cyrus

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monster by Rick Riordan

Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Married by Heather McElhatton

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Lo Down by Lo Bosworth

Marley & Me by John Grogan

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

Marked by PC Cast and Kristen Cast

The Day The World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

Tattoos by Alice Osborn

Angry Housewives Eating BonBons by Lorna Landvik

Finding Casey by Jo-Ann Mapson
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Tigerheart by Peter David
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Michael Jordan by Chip Lovitt
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Aly Carter
Witch Child by Celia Rees
Life Drawing for Beginners by Roisin Meaney
A Wedding in Deccember by Anita Shreve
Time After Time by Sue Hassler
Do Penguins Have Knees? by David Feldman
The Twilight Companion by Lois Gresh
Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto
The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks


My shelves look so much better now and I actually have space to put the new books I've acquired in the last few months. I think this was a great thing and I might do it again later this year once I've read some of the books on my tbr shelf. 

Review | Winger

Winger (Winger #1) by Andrew Smith
May 2013 by Simon & Schuster
439 pages
Five stars


"Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids in the Pacific Northwest. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking."- Goodreads


I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it when I learned the main character, Ryan Dean aka Winger, was 14 years old. I remember how I was at that age, and I was so annoying. I tend to stay away from books where the characters are that young. It just depends on how the book is written and how the characters come off. The Percy Jackson series for instance, is written in a way that I have to keep reminding myself how young they are. The things they deal with and the way they behave is so grown up. Also, I don't read many books where the main character is male. This book worked perfectly though. Everything about it made sense. It was real; funny and heartbreaking all at once. I was reading it while on a road trip and there were times when I would actually laugh out loud.

I had a few problems with Winger. He did some stupid stuff and acted impulsively. What 14 year old doesn't though? I wasn't a fan of the Megan situation. I'm team Annie all the way.

I loved Joey; he was by far my favorite character in Winger. He was the perfect best friend for Winger, when all of his other friends were just kind of arrogant jerks. He seemed to be the voice of reason and steered Winger towards making better decisions. As the captain of the rugby team, he stood up for his teammates, even if he didn't like them much off the playing field.

When I started this book, I didn't realize there would be a second book. I didn't realize the story would continue until after I finished. The loss of a character in Winger will change the flow of the story, which is something I am not excited to explore. The end was very dark and heavy. I am excited to see Wingers relationship with Annie play out and how he moves through his senior year, now that the environment has changed.

Andrew Smith is a fantastic writer and I am so excited to read more novels by him.

**Spoilers**

The loss of Joey was heartbreaking. It was so unfair. The few days leading up to the dance had me worried and I thought something bad would happen. The situation was so real and so heartbreaking. Jerks like Casey exist and this is a very important topic to our youth. It's not okay to treat anyone that way because of their sexual orientation, race, gender, hobbies or whatever else bullies choose to hate about others. I've dealt with my fair share of loss and connected to the way Winger dealt with his grief. Something so tragic as that changes you forever.